This invention relates to a structure for securing a protector to a vehicle body and particularly to a structure in which misalignment in position between a protector and a vehicle body panel can be prevented by improving a configuration of a locking clip of the protector to be secured to the vehicle body panel.
A wire harness to be arranged in a motor vehicle may be received in a protector produced by a resin-molding method at a given arrangement location on account of restriction of passage and enhancement of protective function. When the protector that receives the wire harness is secured to the vehicle body panel, a clip provided on the protector may be inserted into and engaged with a locking hole formed in the vehicle body panel. Such a kind of protector includes a clip in which an axial portion projects from an exterior of a protector and a wing portion extends from each of opposite sides of the distal end of the axial portion, a clip in which a locking pawl projects from each of lateral opposite sides of clip body having a parallelepiped configuration, and the like.
In the case where two or more clips are provided on a wall of the protector and are spaced away from each other at a given distance in the longitudinal direction, a length of each clip on the protector in the longitudinal direction has a length set to be smaller by a distance of about 4 mm than a length of each locking hole in the longitudinal direction. The difference in length enables absorption of an error in dimension between a distance between the clips and a distance between the locking holes. Consequently, even if a certain error is caused between the distance between the clips and the distance between the locking holes, the clips may be inserted into the locking holes and the protector may be fixed on the vehicle body panel.
However, in the above construction, because a clearance is produced between the locking hole in the vehicle body panel and the clip inserted in the locking hole, the protector may be shifted on the vehicle body panel at either side in the longitudinal direction within a distance of about 2 mm after the protector has been locked on the vehicle body. This will deteriorate accuracy in dimension of the wire harness and will cause the protector to vibrate on the vehicle body panel to generate noise.
Particularly, in the case where the vehicle body panels are coupled to each other between adjacent locking holes, because an error in dimension will tend to be caused between the locking holes, the above length of the clip is set to be smaller by a distance of about 7 mm than the above length of the locking hole. Consequently, the misalignment in position of the protector may be exacerbated after locking the protector onto the vehicle body, contributing to the above problems.
The present applicant has disclosed a protector 1 shown in FIG. 5 in Japanese Patent Public Disclosure 2003-274533. The protector 1 includes a body section 2 provided on given positions on upper portions of opposite side walls 2a with guide frame portions 2b, and clips 3 separated from the body section 2. The clip 3 may be slid into and attached to the body section 2. Because the clip 3 may move slidably in the protector 1 after the clip 3 has been attached to the body section 2 of the protector 1, even if an error in dimension is produced between a distance between the clips 3 and a distance between locking holes, the clips 3 are slid to given positions to absorb the error in dimension. Thus, the clips are inserted into the locking holes and the protector may be fixed on the vehicle body panel.
In the protector disclosed in the '533 reference, because the clips 3 are slid in the body section 2 to absorb the error in dimension, it is not necessary to make the clip 3 smaller than the locking hole. However, because the clips 3 are attached to the body section 2 slidably within a given distance, the body section 2 may be shifted with respect to the vehicle body panel when the clips 3 are slid in the body section 2. Separation of the clips 3 from the body section 2 may increase the number of man-hours for assembling the clips 3 onto the body section 2.